sunday mornings

I just wanted everyone to know that you are more than welcome to join us any Sunday in Tempe to feed the hungry.

A few years ago, my neighbor Paula invited me to join her and others from her church as they met at a park for "outreach". Basically, we'd all bring food and someone would bring donated eggs that we'd scramble over a camping stove. Clint, a former homeless man/drug dealer/addict, would share a sermon, and we'd serve the food. Since then, we've moved to other sites including a long stint at the Salvation Army, and now we are located at 2051 E. Apache at a working man's halfway house.

Basically, the format's still the same. We show up anywhere between 8:15 and 8:45(? Adam, help me out here), Clint shares his message to whomever wants to hear, then we serve eggs, potatoes, and hot dogs. Clint has wrangled Starbucks pastry donations, and I think he makes the coffee and punch himself. The whole thing is his baby; a dream of reaching out to people with whom he really identifies.

It's not super organized; there's plenty of chances to get to know the homeless and the hungry. You can sit and talk, you can serve, you can do dishes, clean up trash...the opportunities are endless. I don't need to know if you are coming or not, and you don't have to come every single week. For awhile we were shorthanded, but currently we're doing okay, so anyone else is icing on the cake.

I've always felt safe, and other volunteers have brought their young children. The biggest dangers are scraped knees and explaining why that man smells like gin.